AFC Wimbledon's experiment is undone as League Two home campaign ends in defeat

AFC Wimbledon went down to a quick-fire double on the stroke of half time and a late penalty as relegation fighters Morecambe United went home with a 3-0 win and secured their place in League Two for another year.

Wimbledon, previously unbeaten in four and with their status in the division secured with Easter Monday’s win over Plymouth, named an experimental line up with three up top and deputy keeper Seb Brown in place of Ross Worner.

And the Dons started strongly forcing the game to Morecambe. George Francomb fired wide from the edge of the area after Barry Fuller’s cross was only partially cleared.

Kwesi Appiah, playing through the middle of Jack Midson and Danny Hylton to begin with, was a constant threat as the picked the ball up from deep and turned at the Morecambe back line. He shot just over after 15 minutes and won a corner when another shot was blocked shortly after.

Full back Chris Arthur then sent a wicked curling free kick just wide of the post from 25 yards with Barry Roche stranded.

The visitors, though, took the lead against the run of play three minutes before the break as Jack Redshaw capitalised on an error in the Wimbledon box – Darren Jones slid in to challenge Redshaw but he managed to dance round the Welshman and slot beyond Brown.

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Just 60 seconds later it was two when Redshaw this time the provider as he skipped down the left and crossed low for Jamie Devitt to finish from inside the six yard box.

Neal Ardley made a change five minutes into the second bringing Luke Moore on for Nicholson as Wimbledon hunted down a way back into the match.

It brought about a lot of pressure, as Wimbledon threw the ball forward, but nothing came from it.

The Dons best chance of the second period came as Jack Midson fired over acrobatically from Appiah’s lay off after a move down the right.

Brown, who had been a spectator for much of the half, was called into action again in the 90th minute as he tipped Kevin Ellison long-range effort over.

In injury time, though, Brown was picking the ball out of the next for a third time as Padraig Amond beat him from the spot after Luke Moore brought down Andrew Fleming in the box.

Results elsewhere mean Wimbledon remain in 14th place on 56 points – ahead of Monday’s disciplinary hearing at least – with one game to play.

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